The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-09-25
California in Mourning for
Her Chief Executive.
BRIEF GLIMPSE AT HIS LIFE.
A Man Generally Loved and ke-
spected-His Funeral-His Sue
cessor in Office.
Correspondence of THE HERALD.

of CALIFORNIA; most noteworthy men
He has been ailing ever since his inaug-
uration in last October, and so serious
indeed, did his ailments at length be-
come, that for some months past he wa:
Obliged to seek partial relief from the
onerous duties of his position by briei
sojourns in the country. 1t was not
however, till three weeks ago that his
illness assumed its most critical stage
at that time he was stricken with par
alysis, and it at once became evident
that he was suffering from kidney dis
ease in its most aggravated form. From
the first, although he rallied at times
1t was only too plain that the angel of
death had summoned him. But the
struggle for life was long and hard, for
the Governor seemed to be possessed of
wonderful vitality. For days the bull
letins had been watched with much
anxiety, and hopes were maintained by
some that he might still survive; but,
while Monday S sun was slowly sinking
into rest, the solemn bells tolled out the
common grief: the highest officer of the
State, one of its dest and most honored
citizens, has hidden his eternal farewell.
Governor Bartlett, born in Georgia in
1924, was 63 years of age at his death.
Coming to California during the early
days of the gold excitement, he set up a
printing Office in San francisco, and
soon after began to publish the first
newspaper of the town. From that
time to the present he has been most
intimately connected with the growth
of his adopted city and State. He has
always engaged zealously in politics,
and in them he has been uncommonly
successful. Ia 1882, and again in 1SS
ne was elected mayor of San Francisco.
His term of Office marks an era IN the
financial affairs of the city. For many
years there had been gross abuses, and
large annual deficit to the municipal
ity was the unvarying result. When
Mr.. Bartlett came to the mayo ship tn
was all changed; incompetent officials
we're weeded out, many crying abuses
were remedied, and for the first time
San Francisco began to have a surplus
in her treasury. Itwas an epoch of i'm
proVement, and men and corporations
we're made to respect the law. 1t was
during his administration that the rail-
roads, in arrears for taxes, were COM
PEELED to pay something over 5000 900 as
delinQuents a goodly sum, indeed, and
one that they, without one twinge of
conscience, would willingly have kept
for themselves till the day of judgment.
In this connection, l can't refrain
from repeating very amusing anecdote
of his father, who at one time was a
printer at Milledgeville, Georgia. In
the paper that he published, he had oc-
a., 60 |. ALI
beating one of his slaves. The man de-
ehanced to be informed that on the
succeeding day, at a certain hour, mob
were to make raid upon his Office; and
he, like an amiable host, set to work to
make ample arrangements for their en-
tertainment. The next day came, and
as the hour approached Mr.. Bartlett
dismissed his workmen. TAeE, placing
large keg of powder, with fuse at
tached, in the center of the composing
room, he calmly awaited events. The
mob came, and began to tumble the
printing material out of the windows.
At this stage OF affairs, Mr.. Bartlett
lighted the fuse, and incidentally re-
marked that they would pro-
baby ''all go to the devil
together" The effect was indies
cribable. The exodus was as uncere-
monious as it was complete; the pro-
prietOT was left in undisturbed posses
sion of his property; and, l am assured,
was never afterwards troubled in SINH
lar manner. 1t is presumabie that
Governor Bartlett possessed some of the
characteristics of this doughty ancestor.
The Governor appears to have been
held in much esteem by all classes of
the community, of whatever shade of
political opinion. Though at all times
q staunch Democrat, he was even too
broad and liberal 10 become a narrow
minded, hot-headed partisan, while his
greatest praise will always be that he
never forgot to be an honest man.
Amidst the widespread sorrow of his
death, not one word of d Sparagement
can be heard, but only encomiums upon
his warm hearted, generous nature, and
his unblemished career in both public
ard private life. Governor Bartlett was
not great man, nor man that dazzled
by his brilliant talents; but he was
man, such as we often see in American
life, well endowed with those solid and
enduring virtues which lead men to sue
cess by teaching them ito labor and to
wait" ....
Governor Bartlett is the first governor
of California who has died in Office; and
his funeral, as one would infer, brought
together the most distinguished as
semblage the State has ever witnessed.
From all parts they came, people-civil
political and military; and all coming
together to commemorate a supreme
but sorrowful event. 1t is pleasing, in =
deed, this Difference of Americans to Of
fee, and, especially in a State which, in
it's early years, was notorious for its
license and disorder. 1 don't mean
empty ostentation and display which
counts for naught; but genuine token,
as | believe this was, of our characters
tic and national love for law and order.
But it is al the more pleasing in the
present case, since 1t also does homag9
to the man in showing a sincere esteem
for one who has been tried and faith
full servant. The funeral cortege, grand
and imposing as it was. is worthy only
as a mark of regard for the honored
statesman and the honest citizen.
The new Governor is Robert w.
Waterman. of San Bernardino. Born in
New York State in 1e26, he went as boy
TO Illinois, and came to California in
1850 Four years after he returned to
Illinois, but again came to California in
1860. where he has ever since resided.
he Is largely interested in mines, from
,,,bfch he haa reaned an annie fortune